Brian Brown, president of the National
Organization for Marriage (NOM), on Friday condemned a federal
judge's pending order forcing Ohio to recognize the out-of-state
marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Black said
he would rule in favor of four plaintiff couples on or before Monday,
April 14.
(Related: Federal
judge says he'll order Ohio to recognize gay marriages.)
“We condemn the indication from Judge
Timothy Black that he will order the state of Ohio to recognize
same-sex marriages performed elsewhere in violation of the Ohio
constitution,” Brown
said in a statement. “This is an affront to the rule of law
and to the people of Ohio who voted overwhelmingly to define marriage
solely as the union of one man and one woman. The judge joins a list
of others who have shamefully substituted their own views for the
considered judgment of the people of America. We call on the state
to be ready to file a vigorous appeal of this coming ruling, and for
the US Supreme Court to move expeditiously to rule on this issue.
Less than a year ago, the US Supreme Court held that it is up to the
states to define marriage, and the federal government could not
substitute its own definition of marriage for the judgment of the
states. Judge Black and other federal judges have twisted this
ruling into something unrecognizable. We call on the US Supreme
Court to establish for good that the sovereign states have the
ability to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
The pending decision adds to the
growing list of rulings striking down all or part of similar bans in
Utah, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and Texas.
All of the rulings were handed down
after Brown predicted in November a turnaround for marriage equality
opponents.
(Related: NOM's
Brian Brown predicts victories for gay marriage foes.)